1908 Jack's Manual by J A Grohusko

vent it settling in the neck of the bottle and coming into the decanter when decanted. Stout young wines of good quality obtain a maturity and generous flavor by being binned in places of moderate warmth, provided, of course, that they are not kept there too long, but Cham pagnes, Rhine Wines and Moselles should be kept in a cool place. Before filling the decanters they should be, of course, thoroughly clean inside and out, and the month of the wine bottle very carefully wiped to remove all the exudation which will be found adheiing to it; this should ensure the wine being served in perfect condi tion, for even the slightest cloudiness destroys that delicacy of flavor which is its chief charm. To extract the cork without shaking the wine, the bottle must be taken carefully by the neck with a steady hand and the corkscrew inserted in the exact centre of the cork with the bottle lying in a horizontal position. Use no strainer, but place a candle in such a posi tion that its light will shine through the wine as it passes between the bottle and the decanter. As soon as any sediment appears, the operation must be stopped at once so that none of it will get into the decanter. No wine should be served at table that is defective or "corky"(a term to indicate wine that has been tainted by the sap of the cork wood), which is easily detected by the smell. All wines throw a deposit, rich wines more than others. The crust of Port wine of only one or two years' formation is naturally not so firm as that which has been kept for a longer period. Dry wines take longer to mature than rich. DECANTING.